Tenth in the intermediate standings at the end of day one, Maiko Tamm staged an impressive comeback at the KymiRing circuit to claim the second victory of his career in the Open 4WD Pro category. A standout performance that now puts the Estonian driver at the top of the RallyX championship leaderboard.
Already crowned Pro Am champion in 2023 after a thrilling duel with Viktor Vranckx, Tamm has clearly stepped into a new league. With back-to-back podium finishes in Riga, the young Estonian driver undoubtedly delivered his finest RallyX performance to date last weekend.
After a disappointing 13th place in Q1, a sixth-best time in Q2 allowed him to just scrape into the Top 10 by Saturday evening—but hopes of turning things around still looked slim.
“During Free Practice 1 on Saturday morning, I came into the first corner way too fast and spun out, causing some damage to the car,” said the TT Motorsport driver after Q2.
“We carried those mechanical issues into Q1 with a problem in the differential, but the team managed to fix it before Q2, which allowed me to run a clean race—even if I felt like my driving was a bit too aggressive.”
“That said, we’re going to carefully review the onboard footage and think about the best changes to make before getting back into the fight on Sunday. We know the car isn’t the most comfortable on the gravel sections we have here, but that’s part of racing. The goal now is to protect the car and focus on improving our pace on the dirt. We need to build a clean and consistent weekend.”
Though Maiko didn’t hide the difficulties he was facing, he refused to get caught up in the bigger picture or speculate on championship standings.
“As for the points, I’m not even sure where I stand right now. I’m staying focused on taking it one race at a time. Honestly, I think everyone is struggling on this track, especially in the gravel sections—it’s bumpy and really tough to drive. Everyone’s having a hard time with it, but I just keep moving forward step by step.”
That approach paid off. Tamm completely changed the course of his KymiRing weekend, clocking the fourth-best time in Q3 and setting the fastest overall time in Q4, which catapulted him from tenth to third in the intermediate standings heading into the finals.
He went on to clock the second-fastest lap in both the semi-final and the final—securing a victory that now sees him take control of the RallyX North standings.
“Today, track conditions were better, and the car felt much more responsive too. Our goal was to push hard at every start and every corner, and our strategy worked quite well.”
One thing is certain: with a trio like Turpeinen, Seppä, and Tamm—whose average age doesn’t even reach 19—RallyX continues to prove itself as a breeding ground for pure talent.
“There’s no doubt the next generation is here,” Maiko said.
“This new wave of young drivers is pushing hard this year. Maybe one day we’ll all meet again in the World Championship. We’ll see what the future holds. For now, I’m fully focused on RallyX and giving everything I’ve got at every opportunity.”